Review: Charming “Undertow” Will Easily Catch You in its Grip

Manolo Cardona (left) and Cristian Mercado in Undertow

Every few years, a “small” movie in an unusual setting comes along that is such a charming crowd-pleaser that it sweeps through the whole world like a breath of fresh air. Movies like The Full Monty, Muriel’s Wedding, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Billy Elliot became classics precisely because they were “different” – heartfelt stories about people in complicated circumstances, set in places we hadn’t ever seen before.

And, of course, Hollywood learns nothing from the success of these movies, continuing to churn out soulless, over-produced tripe usually starring an unnaturally skinny Jennifer Aniston.

But I digress.

This year’s charming crowd-pleaser is gay, and if there’s any justice at all in the world, this delightful film will repeat the crossover success of previous gay crowd-pleasers like Priscilla and Beautiful Thing and find a life far, far beyond its target audience.

Undertow is set in a very rural, extremely poor fishing village on the coast of South America (the country is never identified, although the movie was filmed in Peru).

In the movie, Miguel has lived his whole life as a fisherman in this desperately poor village – though it’s clear that, while liked, he has never quite fit in among the other men. He’s married to a woman, with a child on the way, but we soon learn he’s also secretly involved with Santiago, a handsome visiting painter that the villagers gossip about.

Despite being in love, both are unhappy: Miguel is terrified that his secret will be exposed (and is dealing with serious “masculinity” issues), and Santiago is frustrated by being the “other man” as well as by Miguel’s lack of commitment.

Someone call Lady Gaga: we’ve got a serious “bad romance” here.

Then a supernatural twist occurs – something that would be downright criminal to reveal here – and everything changes. It allows Miguel to finally truly have it all: the respectability of conventional family life with his wife Mariela, but also a full commitment to the love and passion he feels for Santiago.

There is a delightful, absolutely heartbreaking scene halfway through the film where Miguel and Santiago are allowed to walk down the street of the village together for the first time. As Miguel realizes that the villagers aren’t going to condemn him, he becomes utterly transformed, finally even taking Santiago’s hand.

As great as an earlier scene of passionate love-making in the confines of a hidden sea cave is, it has nothing on the romantic power of this simple, open gesture.